Automatic doorstop



AUTOMATIC DOORSTOP Filed March so, 1951 (C01 nu,

Patented Jan. 23, 1934 1,944,382

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

1,944,382 AUTOMATIC DOORSTOP Andrew J. Wecker, Dayton, Ohio Application March 30, 1931. Serial No. 526,413

1 Claim. (01. 292-334.)

invention relates to :door stops or bolts objects in view as will more fully appear in the and particularly to a locking device which is specification, the invention consists of the feaheld inoperative during to and fro movement of tures of construction, the parts and combinathe door but which is automatically released for tions thereof, and the mode of operation, or

.5 locking engagement as the door reaches its final their equivalents, as hereinafter described and position of adjustment, and to a duo-functional set forth in the claim. application of they device to not only secure the, Referring to the drawing wherein are shown closure in closed position but to hold it when the preferred, but obviously not the only forms open against closing movement. of embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a per- 0 The present invention .is especially app a pee V o a t n f a foldin gara .65

to garage doors, barn and Warehouse doors and door to which thefpresent invention has been the like but is not limited thereto, but may be applied. Fi is aside leva i n of the device j applied to windows or other closures, either as the door approaches its closed position. Fig. swinging or sliding. 3 is a similar. view showing the bolt or locking In the present construction there is employed device engaged. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view 7 a reciprocatory bolt engageable in akeeper when Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating the door th'edoor is in-its finally adjusted open or closed locked in its open position. Fig. 6 shows the position, or both, and which upon being withautomatic detent applied to the door stop device. drawn from the keeper is held in its retracted 130- shown and described in my copending applicazzo sition by a suitable detent which is automaticalticn, Serial No. 297,704, filed August 6, 1928, now 75 1y tripped or disengaged as the door approaches Patent No. 1,808,393. Fig. '7 is a detail plan View its final position of adjustment, to permit re.- of a further modification of the bolt detent engagement of the bolt with its keeper. means.

The object of the invention is to simplify the Like parts are indicated by similar characters asconstruction as well as the means and mode of reference throughout the several views. 80

of operation of door stops and closure fasteners, Referring to the drawing, 1-1 indicates a whereby they will not only be cheapened in confolding garage door, although it is to be understruction but will be more eflicient in use, reliable stood that the invention is not so limited but may in operation, automatic in action, and unlikely b app to y 01001 9 O e adjustable Closure.

"to get out of repair. The door stop or fastening device comprises a 55 A further object of the invention is to provide reciprocatory bolt 2 mounted in a suitable guide a duo-functional stop or fastener adapted to hold bracket 3. The bolt 2 is illustrated as gravity a door or other closure open as well as closed. operated, and to this end is shown provided with A further object of the invention is to provide a weight or enlarged head 4. In lieu thereof or detent means for holding the stop or fastener when the bolt is'to be mounted in other position 911 in inoperative or retracted position after being than substantially vertical, an actuating spring 5 disengaged until the door is adjusted to its final may be interposed between the shoulder 6 of the open or closed position as the case may be. bolt and the bracket 3 as indicated in Fig. 3.

A further object of the invention is to pro- This enables the device to be used in reverse 40vide an automatic release for the retracted loekposition at the top of a door. For conveniently 9;; ing bolt or fastening device which will be quite lifting the bolt, a chain 7 is illustrated. In the simple in construction and inexpensive, and closed position of the door the bolt operatively which will be operated by the final movement of engages within a keeper 8 in the door sill to lock the door or other closure. the door in closed position.

" A further object of the invention is to enable A detent is provided for temporarily holding 100 the automatic locking of a door from the outthe bolt 2 in its retracted position when disenside, thus avoiding the necessity of re-entering gaged from the keeper. As a simple but effective the building, which is especially convenient and form of detent there is shown a spring finger 9 desirable when applied to garage doors. secured to the supporting bracket 3 and extend- A further, but none the less important, object ing through the lower guide opening of the I05 of the invention is to provide a door stop or fasbracket beside the bolt as shown more particulartener, the parts of which are so designed and ly in Fig. 4. The guide opening in the bracket arranged as to be capable of being quickly and is enlarged sufliciently to accommodate the spring easily installed by an unskilled person. detent finger 9 and to permit it a limited flexing With the above primary and other incidental movement toward and from the bolt. The spring L10 detent against the stop 10 as the door reaches itsfinal position flexes the detent finger away from the bolt, thus releasing the latter which thereupon enters its keeper 8 under influence of gravity or the spring 5.

To hold the door open there is shown on the second section of the folding door 1 an auxiliary keeper 11 so positioned that the bolt 2 is engageable therewith, as shown in Fig. 5, when the door is in its extreme open position. The keeper 11 is so located that the end of the retracted bolt will pass above the keeper as the door reaches its final position of adjustment, and the protruding end of the detent finger will engage with the side of the keeper 11 as the operating stop, to effect release of the bolt which thereupon enters the keeper 11 to hold the door open as well as closed. A folding door 1 with the keeper 11 on one section thereof has been shown for illustrative purposes only, and it is to be understood that the keeper 11 may be mounted upon a stationary wall against which the door opens or upon a post or other suitable support. Likewise while the device has been illustrated as applied to a swinging door, it is equally applicable to sliding closures or other adjustable closures whatever may be their construction.

In lieu of the spring finger 9 there is shown in Fig. '7 a modification wherein a pivoted arm 12 is movable into and out of the path of the bolt 2. It is spring actuated by the spring 13 into such relation upon retraction of the bolt and is oscilof advantage before enumerated as desirable, but

which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any 01 its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claim; I

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A closure assembly including a pair of folding doors having a locking bolt engageable alternately with one of two keepers, one of which is engaged by the bolt when the doors are closed, the other of which is engaged when the doors are open, characterized by aspring frictionally engaging the bolt to hold the same in inoperative position during the swinging motion of the doors in each direction, said spring automatically engaging either keeper to release the bolt as the doors. move into operative range of a keeper which permits the bolt to drop into the keeper engaged by the spring to lock the doors.

ANDREW J. WECKER. 

